The Urbino electric bus undergoes testing in Athens
The electric Solaris bus will be tested on the streets of Athens over the next two months. The capital city of Greece conducts trials on electric technology in regular passenger traffic, to prepare for the growing electrification of its public transport system. In the next few months, the cities of Athens and Thessaloniki intend to purchase 1300 buses, most of which are to be electric.
Solaris is a European leader in the production of electric buses and its battery electric vehicles have found dozens of clients across 18 countries so far. This time, Solaris’s innovative technology will be tested in urban traffic by public operator OSY from Athens.
The Urbino 12 electric started tests with great fanfare on Friday, 27 November, in the presence of the Management Board of OSY and Kostas Karamanlis, the Minister of Infrastructure and Transport in Greece. The bus will operate on line no. 2 travelling to the city centre until the end of January.
The Greek Ministry of Infrastructure and Transport together with the government have placed the electrification of transport at the forefront of their transport policy. For that reason they have provided huge incentives to purchase electric vehicles. In the next few months, Athens and Thessaloniki are planning to extend their fleets by 1300 buses in total. The plans envisage that most of the purchased vehicles will be electrically driven.
The 12-metre, emission-free Urbino electric bus is Solaris’s flagship product and was awarded the prestigious “Bus of the Year” title in 2016. It will be fitted with Solaris High Energy batteries+ with a total capacity of nearly 400 kWh, and they will be replenished using a plug-in connection. The drive unit of this model of the Urbino electric consists of an electric axle with two integrated motors boasting a power of 125 kW each.
The vehicle’s spacious interior will be topped off with a range of cutting-edge solutions such as USB ports for mobile devices, a passenger information system and CCTV cameras. LED lighting and an extremely quiet driveline will ensure passengers travel in comfort. The Urbino electric being tested in Athens will fit up to 72 people, of whom 30 can travel seated. The vehicle caters to the needs of people with disabilities, featuring a functional wheelchair bay and 16 seats accessible from its low floor.
